GroupMe helps women students feel safe amid concerns

BY EMILY POIRRIER @Emily_Poirrier

Women at LSU are taking action into their own hands to protect themselves and others.

LSU students Alisha Ortolano, Caitlynn Bakewell, Bobbilynn Akers, Iyian Paige, Abigail McIntosh, Hailey McGhee and Hanna LeBlanc created a campus wide GroupMe in an effort to keep women on LSU’s campus safe.

The GroupMe is designed as a rideshare service between women on campus. When a member of the group is in an uncomfortable situation and wants to be picked up, they can contact one of the designated drivers of the night. As a safety and precautionary measure, students must put in their LSU emails to be added.

Orlantano is a member of LSU’s Alpha Delta Pi Omega Chapter, said she. As a member of Greek life, she was compelled to reach out in the community after the death of Madison Brooks, who was a member of the same sorority.

“There have been many girls who have reached out to me saying they have been put in vulnerable situations when left alone in Tigerland or places on campus and would have felt more comfortable having a support system,” Orlantano said.

Although the GroupMe is helpful for students, student and member of LSU’s Delta Zeta Sigma Chapter Georgia Szoke believe the GroupMe never should have needed to be created in the first place.

CRYPTO, from page 3 you never even knew existed, but that’s what I want the most – is for people to take their talents and find a reason to apply it to crypto.”

International trade and finance junior Claire Hill says she’s had the chance to explore new avenues that she wouldn’t have had access to without the club.

“My favorite part is just having

STUDENT HEALTH, from page 3 gynecological services, but Hupperich assured students that no services will be restricted.

“They’ll be expanding some of the services we’ve offered previously,” Hupperich said.

O’Neal said that she had previously worked at an LSU hospital before moving to Our Lady of the Lake. She said she experienced few differences in terms of the care either provided, so she said students shouldn’t have to

RIDESHARE, from page 3

“The situation young women are put in at the university’s nightlife is nauseating,” Szoke said. “The concept of the GroupMe is comforting, but the fact that something like this had to be created to make girls feel more comfortable is despairing.” the opportunity to meet unique individuals and discover these new assets and new avenues of investing,” Hill said. “The opportunity to connect with huge companies and investment bankers and all of these new things.”

One main reason members said this club became what it is today is due to their shared passion to learn about crypto on a larger scale than what is portrayed in the worry about the hospital’s religious ties affecting their care.

The reason Our Lady of the Lake won’t be assisting in the gynecology clinic is because the hospital doesn’t have expertise in that area, O’Neal said.

Hupperich said the health center will be adding a new patient portal called MyChart to handle scheduling and communications, while a separate portal will be used for everything else.

LaDonna Williams, vice president of the Our Lady of the Lake media.

Members of Greek life and female students at LSU remain unsettled following Brooks’ death. In two weeks, Orlantano’s GroupMe has gained over 900 members.

With so many students feeling unsafe, members of the LSU community are waiting to see what actions the university will take.

“The gain of perspective on cryptocurrency and digital assets from a view that’s not so hyped and social media-based is important,” Hill said. “I find a lot of people come and they have negative sentiments towards it because they only see the breakdown of how people have lost money…but what they don’t see is how this has utility in the future.”

Physician Group, said the hospital has no intentions of making a profit off of the partnership with LSU; Our Lady of the Lake is classified as a not-for-profit institution.

Hupperich said the Student Health Center will be looking to expand embedded therapists, which are therapists that serve just a single college. LSU currently has one embedded therapist in the honors college. A student asked the forum whether Our Lady of the Lake would use this

LSU President William Tate IV responded to Brooks’ death with an email that sparked backlash among students and advocates for his targeting of Tigerland and underage drinking.

“Our action plan starts with a deep and relentless focus on any establishment that profits off our students by providing alcohol to underage individuals,”

International trade and finance senior Noah Broussard said he enjoys being in the club because it allows him to be around people who share a common interest.

“A big part of this club is getting to network with like-minded individuals, but also being able to learn about the future – the future of innovation, technology and where everything’s going,” Broussard said. “We have a lot of attrac- partnership to try to refer students to doctors that are a part of the Our Lady of the Lake system.

O’Neal said the hospital doesn’t dictate where patients are referred, and students can choose which doctors they wish to see.

She said the health center physician who is treating the student can provide options to the student for them to choose.

Another student asked if Our Lady of the Lake would seek to put religious imagery in the Student Health Center. LaDonna

Tate said in the email.

Others argue this message perpetuates rape culture. The College Democrats of LSU and Feminists in Action responded with a message stating, “We call on you to provide succinct analysis of how the age of the victim and perpetrators are relevant to this goal.”

Tate responded to the mes - tion with investors and businesses that are in this space because the realm is so new and we’re trying to capitalize off of that.” said the only religious imagery that may appear in the health center would be the logo of Our Lady of the Lake, but that would be it. sage with a column in The Advocate.

In the spring Osborn said he is looking to host a crypto investment competition within the club with a reward of a $500 amazon gift card.

The Digital Assets and Blockchain club can be found on TigerLink.

The health center’s $40 million dollars is only a chunk of the change from Our Lady of the Lake. Tens of millions more will be distributed between the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, a new disciplinary science building, a healthcare-based research fund and advancements in athlete health and wellness.

The creators of the GroupMe hope to continue providing rides so that LSU students can stay safe. They also hope that other campuses will create similar ideas.

“Women should protect and support other women,” Orlantano said.